BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an image fiber in which a twisted portion is provided
in order to rotate the orientation of a transmitted image, or to improve the quality
of a transmitted image.
Background Art
[0003] Image fibers, to which a twisting process is applied, are known in the art. One of
the purposes of applying such a twisting process is to rotate the orientation of a
transmitted image at the object side of an image fiber with respect to that at the
observer's side thereof. Another purpose is to improve the quality of a transmitted
image such as contrast, etc., as disclosed, for example, in
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-185931. Contrast in a transmitted image is improved because undesired light, which leaks
from a core and passes through a cladding, is reduced by applying an appropriate amount
of twisting.
[0004] An image fiber twisting process includes removing a portion of a protective layer
extending in the longitudinal direction of the image fiber to expose a body of the
image fiber, softening the exposed portion by heating using a heat source such as
an oxyhydrogen flame burner, twisting the image fiber about the center axis thereof,
and cooling the image fiber for plastic fixation to obtain a twisted portion.
[0005] When the twisted portion is formed through the twisting process at an excessively
large rate of twist, i.e., when the degree of twisting is excessive, deformation such
as bending, elongation, etc., of cores that form pixels tend to become too great,
and problems may be encountered in that defects such as dark spots are included in
the transmitted image because light cannot pass through the cores. Another defect
is that contrast in the transmitted image is reduced because light leaking from some
cores affects adjacent cores.
[0006] In particular, the above-mentioned defects tend to be significant in the cores disposed
near the periphery of the image fiber because deformation due to twisting is greater
in the cores near the periphery than in the cores disposed around the center of the
image fiber. The above-mentioned defects may occur where the degree of twisting is
locally significant in the twisted portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an
image fiber in which a twisted portion is provided so that a transmitted image is
rotated without degrading the quality of the transmitted image.
[0008] In order to achieve the object, the present invention provides an image fiber including
an image fiber body having a twisted portion which is formed by heating, softening,
and twisting a portion of the image fiber body, wherein the rate of twist in the twisted
portion is constant.
[0009] In the above image fiber, the rate of twist may preferably be set in a range from
1 °/mm to 4000°/mm.
[0010] In the above image fiber, the rate of twist at the beginning portion of the twisted
portion and the rate of twist at the end portion of the twisted portion may preferably
be set in a range from 3°/mm to 400°/mm.
[0011] In the above image fiber, the twisted portion may be provided with a protective element.
[0012] In the above image fiber, the image fiber body includes cores, and the rate of twist
in the twisted portion is set in such a manner that the elongated lengths of the cores
due to twisting do not exceed four times the original lengths thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an image fiber
according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing change in the rate of twist in the image fiber according
to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of change in the rate of twist in the
image fiber according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an unfavorable example of change in the rate of twist
in a twisted portion.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a relationship between an amount of twisting and contrast
in a transmitted image in an image fiber.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an image fiber.
FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing an example of a fiber scope in which an image
fiber according to the present invention is used.
FIG. 8 is a side view showing another embodiment of an image fiber according to the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention will be explained below in detail.
[0015] FIG. 1 shows an example of an image fiber, and reference numeral 1 indicates an image
fiber. A twisted portion 2 is formed in the image fiber 1 along the longitudinal direction
thereof.
[0016] The twisted portion 2 is formed by a process that includes: partially removing a
protective layer 3 of the image fiber 1 to expose a portion of an image fiber body
4; heating the exposed portion of the image fiber body 4, except for a margin of a
few millimeters from each end thereof, i.e., the middle portion of the exposed portion,
using a heat source such as an oxyhydrogen flame burner to soften the image fiber
body 4; twisting the image fiber body 4 in such a manner that an end of the image
fiber 1 is fixed and the other end thereof is rotated about the center axis thereof,
or both ends of the image fiber 1 are rotated about the center axis thereof in directions
opposite to each other and cooling the image fiber body 4. During the above process,
the image fiber 1 must be carefully held in order to prevent bending or axial offset
of the image fiber 1 due to sagging of the heated portion of the image fiber body
4.
[0017] In the present invention, it is important to regulate twisting during the process
for applying twisting so that rate of twist in the twisted portion 2 is held constant
from the beginning portion of the twisted portion 2 to the end portion thereof, as
shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, it is more preferable to make the
rate of twist gradually change in the beginning portion of the twisted portion 2 and
in the end portion thereof, in order to prevent defects such as dark spots due to
bending of the cores of the image fiber 1, which may occur when the rate of twist
changes sharply in the beginning portion of the twisted portion 2 and in the end portion
thereof.
[0018] The "rate of twist" in the present invention is defined by rotational angle per millimeter
in the twisted portion 2. A preferable range of the rate of twist, which is made to
be constant, varies depending on the type of image fiber; however, in general, a range
from 1°/mm to 4000°/mm is preferable. A range from 5°/mm to 100°/mm is more preferable.
When the rate of twist is less than 1°/mm, it is difficult to handle the image fiber
1 because the twisted portion 2 is too long. When the rate of twist is greater than
4000°/mm, the quality of a transmitted image may be degraded due to excessive deformation
and elongation of the cores of the image fiber 1. When the rate of twist is set in
the above-mentioned range, the amount of transmission light leaking from the cores
will be within an allowable range. In the case of an image fiber in which the relative
refractive index difference between the cores and cladding is 4%, and D/d is 1.5 (where
D is core spacing, and "d" is diameter of a core, see FIG. 6), the elongated lengths
of the cores due to twisting may preferably be set to not be more than four times
the original lengths.
[0019] The overall angle of twist may be preferably selected from 180°, 360°, 540°, and
720°, and the length of the twisted portion 2 is set, in general, in a range from
5 to 25 mm.
[0020] When the rate of twist of the twisted portion 2 locally and steeply changes within
the twisted portion 2 as shown in FIG. 4, the quality of a transmitted image may be
degraded.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a graph showing a relationship between an amount of twisting and contrast
in a transmitted image in the image fiber 1. In this graph, curve A indicates change
in contrast at the center of the image fiber 1, and curve B indicates change in contrast
in the periphery of the image fiber 1. According to this graph, it is clear that contrast
in the periphery of the image fiber 1 decreases steeply when the elongated lengths
of the cores exceed four times the original lengths. Moreover, it was found that pixel
distortion or loss occurs in both the center and the periphery of the image fiber
1 when the elongated lengths of the cores exceed four times the original lengths.
Note that contrast in an image is generally defined by (I
max-I
min)/(I
max+I
min), where I
max indicates the maximum intensity of a reference image, and I
min indicates the minimum intensity of the reference image.
[0022] In FIG. 5, the elongation in the outermost periphery, which is plotted along the
horizontal axis, indicates the degree of elongation of the cores disposed in the outermost
periphery of the image fiber due to the twisting process, and which may be expressed
by L'/L, where L represents the original length, and L' represents the length after
the twisting process. The ratio L'/L may preferably be set to be less than 2.0 when
just rotation of a transmitted image is desired, and the ratio L'/L may preferably
be set in a range from 2.5 to 3.5 when improvement in the quality of a transmitted
image is desired.
[0023] In the image fiber 1 as an example, the twisted portion 2 is covered with a protective
element 5 as shown in FIG. 1. In this example, the protective element 5 includes a
reinforcing pipe 6 such as a metal pipe, etc., and an adhesive 7 such as silicone
resin, epoxy resin, etc., to adhere the reinforcing pipe 6 to the image fiber body
4. The length of the reinforcing pipe 6 is greater than that of the twisted portion
2, and the reinforcing pipe 6 may preferably be disposed to overlap with the protective
layer 3 by 1 to 10 mm.
[0024] In addition, the inside portions of the ends of the reinforcing pipe 6 may preferably
be chamfered, or the ends of the reinforcing pipe 6 may preferably be flared so that
the adhesive 7 is preferably provided in the inner portion of the reinforcing pipe
6, and so that the end edges of the reinforcing pipe 6 do not contact the protective
layer 3 of the image fiber 1, whereby the protective layer 3 is not damaged by the
ends of the reinforcing pipe 6 when a bending force is applied to the image fiber
1.
[0025] Furthermore, the reliability of the image fiber 1 may be improved by using a reinforcing
pipe 6 having tapering so that the middle portion thereof is thicker (not shown in
FIG. 1). Moreover, if silicone resin having considerable resilience is used as the
adhesive 7, the difference between the elongations of the reinforcing pipe 6 and the
image fiber 1 due to difference in coefficients of thermal expansion, which occur
when temperature changes, may be absorbed.
[0026] In the image fiber 1, because the twisted portion 2 is formed to have a constant
rate of twist, the orientation of a transmitted image can be rotated, and contrast
in the transmitted image can be improved. In addition, problems such as pixel distortion
or loss due to excessive twist can be avoided.
[0027] Moreover, because the twisted portion 2 is protected and reinforced by the protective
element 5, it is easy to handle the image fiber 1 while avoiding damage to the twisted
portion 2. Furthermore, when the image fiber 1 is used as an image scope, the protective
element 5 may be used as an element to which various elements are to be attached.
[0028] In general, image fibers as manufactured have a slight twist due to manufacturing
processes. Because of this, if the image fiber 1 is twisted in the same direction
as that of the original twist so that the angle of twist is reduced when the twisted
portion 2 is formed to rotate the orientation of a transmitted image by 180°, risk
of pixel distortion or loss may be reduced.
[0029] An additional protective layer of the same resin material as the protective layer
3 may be used as the protective element for the twisted portion 2 instead of the reinforcing
pipe 6. As in the above case, the additional protective layer may preferably be tapered
so that the middle portion thereof is made thicker, and therefore the rigidity of
the middle portion is increased. As a result, stress concentration at the ends of
the additional protective layer can be avoided, and reliability of the image fiber
can be improved.
[0030] In the image fiber 1, because the rate of twist is set to be constant in the twisted
portion 2, and is set in a range from 1°/mm to 4000°/mm, the cores, which form pixels,
will not significantly deform and elongate. Therefore, defects such as dark spots
in the transmitted image due to pixel distortion or loss can be avoided.
[0031] Moreover, not only can the orientation of the transmitted image be rotated, but also
contrast in the transmitted image can be improved.
[0032] When both the rate of twist at the beginning portion of the twisted portion and the
rate of twist at the end portion of the twisted portion are set in a range from 3°/mm
to 400°/mm, and the rates of twist are made to change gradually in these portions,
deformation of the cores, which form pixels, will be further reduced, and defects
in the transmitted image can be more reliably prevented.
[0033] In the case in which the twisted portion 2 is covered by the protective element 5,
damage to the twisted portion 2 can be prevented even when an external force is applied
to the twisted portion 2; therefore, it is easy to handle the image fiber 1. When
the image fiber 1 is used in a fiber scope, the protective element 5 may be used as
an element to which various elements are to be attached. FIG. 7 shows an example of
a fiber scope in which the image fiber according to the present invention is employed.
[0034] FIG. 8 is a side view showing an image fiber 11 as another embodiment of the present
invention. The image fiber 11 includes an image fiber body (not indicated), a twisted
portion 12, a protective layer 13, a protective element 15, and an adhesive 17. In
this embodiment, an end of the twisted portion 12 is polished.
[0035] TABLE 1 shows specifications of Examples of image fibers to which the present invention
may be applied.
TABLE 1
Item |
Example 1 |
Example 2 |
Example 3 |
Example 4 |
Number of picture elements (nominal) |
3,000 |
10,000 |
50,000 |
100,000 |
Image circle diameter (µm) |
190 |
460 |
1,025 |
1,400 |
Fiber diameter (µm) |
215 |
500 |
1,100 |
1,500 |
Coating diameter (µm) |
285 |
600 |
1,200 |
1,700 |
[0036] As explained above, according to the image fiber of the present invention, the orientation
of the transmitted image can be rotated without degrading the quality of the transmitted
image.
[0037] While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated
above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not
to be considered as limiting. Additions, deletions, substitutions, and other modifications
can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Accordingly,
the invention is not to be considered as being limited by the foregoing description
and is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
1. An image fiber unit comprising: an image fiber (4) and an image fiber protective layer
(3) surrounding the image fiber (4), wherein
the image fiber (4) comprises cores and a common cladding enclosing the cores,
the image fiber (4) includes a twisted portion (2) having a middle portion with a
constant rotational angle per millimeter, and a beginning portion and an end portion
both located adjacent to the middle portion and both having a variable rotational
angle per millimeter,
in the beginning portion, the rotational angle per millimeter gradually increases
towards the middle portion,
in the end portion, the rotational angle per millimeter gradually decreases away from
the middle portion towards an untwisted portion,
the image fiber unit further comprises a protective element (5) disposed around the
twisted portion (2), and
the image fiber protective layer (3) disposed around the image fiber (4) except the
twisted portion (2).
2. An image fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the rotational angle per millimeter
in the middle portion is a value selected from a range of 5°/mm to 100°/mm.
3. An image fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the length of the reinforcing pipe
(6) is greater than the length of the twisted portion (2).
4. An image fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing pipe (6) overlaps
the image fiber protective layer (3) by 1 to 10 mm.
5. An image fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein inside portions of the reinforcing
pipe (6) are chamfered.
6. An image fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein ends of the reinforcing pipe (6)
are flared.
7. An image fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein a middle portion of the reinforcing
pipe (6) is shaped so that the middle portion is made thicker than other portion of
the reinforcing pipe (6).
8. An image fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the twisted portion
(2) is polished.
9. An image fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the rotational angle per millimeter
in the twisted portion (2) is within a range such that the elongated lengths of the
cores due to twisting do not exceed four times the original lengths thereof.
10. An image fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the protective element (5) comprises
a reinforcing pipe (6) and an adhesive (7) that adheres the reinforcing pipe (6) to
the image fiber (4), and the reinforcing pipe (6) overlaps the image fiber protective
layer (3).
11. An image fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the protective element (5) comprises
an additional protective layer, and the additional protective layer overlaps the image
fiber protective layer (3).
12. An image fiber unit according to claim 11, wherein the additional protective layer
is made of the same resin material as that of the image fiber protective layer (3).
13. A fiber scope comprising an image fiber unit according to claim 1.